The complete mitochondrial genome of Clostera anachoreta (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae) and phylogenetic implications for Noctuoidea species

Abstract

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Clostera anachoreta (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae) was sequenced. It comprises 15,456 base pairs (bp), including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), 22 transfer RNAs (tRNAs) and one non-coding control region (CR), as found in other lepidopterans. Gene order is identical to that of typical lepidopterans. There are 15 intergenic spacers ranging from 2 to 49bp, and 9 overlapping regions ranging from 1 to 8bp, occurring throughout the genome. The CR is 347bp long. All PCGs are initiated by ATN codons. We found a typical gene rearrangement in C. anachoreta (tRNAMet–tRNAIle–tRNAGln), which is different from ancestral insects (tRNAIle–tRNAGln–tRNAMet). The gene rearrangement can be explained by a duplication/random loss model. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that C. anachoreta belongs to Notodontidae, and that the monophyly of Lepidopteran families is well supported.